


Small Comforts

by StarEyedPrince



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Gen, Hope's Peak AU, Other, V3 spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-11-23 16:06:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11405853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarEyedPrince/pseuds/StarEyedPrince
Summary: Despite its bright name, the words “Sunshine Orphanage” were so chipped, faded and worn down on the old sign in front of them that it was almost unreadable.The building itself was no better. It’s not like it was falling apart right in front of them, but its cracked pavement, dusty windows and rusted gates don’t even attempt to live up to its cheery namesake.Both Momota and Saihara were left without words. Would they even say something? Should they?Regardless, Harukawa calmly walks forward a few paces, then turns around to face them.“Well… This is it. This is my orphanage.”





	1. Stargazing After Workouts

**Author's Note:**

> hey heads up there's some v3 spoilers in here!! just a warning for those trying to avoid all that

The beautiful night sky was the backdrop to yet another round of training.

It’s been like this for a few months now. On a grassy field at Hope's Peak Academy, right next to the track field, Momota leads Saihara and Harukawa on their daily training routine of 100 pushups and sit-ups. Whether or not all of them actually accomplish their goal, after each session the three of them lay on their backs; sweaty, fatigued, and their hands covered in dirt (Correction: only Saihara and Momota are sweaty and fatigued, Harukawa being the exception due to her freakishly godlike endurance. The dirt statement still applies to her, however).

Despite the heavy breathing and aching muscles, they felt at peace. The cathartic nature of the workouts let them relieve the stress accumulated during the day, and are rewarded with a beautiful starry night sky to gaze at. It's one of many small comforts the trio took part in together.

Momota - the self-proclaimed leader of their little workout group – sat up first from their fatigue. Although obviously tired from the workout, he suspiciously isn’t sweating as hard as his subordinates – Harukawa notwithstanding. He looks over the group like any good leader would, but suddenly a scowl starts to tug on his face.

“Oi, Shuichi, ‘the hell are ya trying to pull?” Momota said.

Saihara, the most fatigued of the trio, was still catching his breath.

“Hh…. Huh?!” Shuichi managed to say in between his desperate gasps for air. “Wh…What are you…. talking… about?”

“Don’t bullshit me,” Momota continued. “Your form’s been getting sloppy as shit! You only did a measly 20 push ups today!”

Now it’s Saihara’s turn to sit up, albeit shakily. “Y…You should talk! I’ve been keeping an eye on you Momota-kun, and you barely did any at all!!”

Momota falters for a moment as suspicions were thrown back at his face, but he quickly fires back with as much confidence he could muster.

“Sh-Shut the fuck up!! Your eyesight must be crap, because I totally did 50, no problem! Right, Harumaki?!” He desperately tries to rope in the third member into the conversation.

He strains his neck to look at Harukawa with totally-not-pleading eyes, but she simply rolls her own instead. She casually stands up and brushes the dirt off her hands, once again being the only person in the group actually that did 100 push ups.

“No, Saihara’s right. All you did was stare up into space today.”

Vindicated, Saihara lets out a small chuckle, and Momota hangs his head in embarrassment.

“How could this fuckin’ happen… How could my assistants betray me like this?” He laments.

Saihara stood up on his feet to brush off the dirt on his pants. “Cheer up, Momota-kun. I know you’re just looking out for us.”

“Yeah, we don’t care that you never hit your goal of 100 push-ups, or that you spend most of the time looking up at the stars instead of actually exercising.” Harukawa chimes in with bluntness so dense you can beat someone senseless with it.

Momota looks up again with a scoff. “Was that supposed to cheer me up or some shit?”

Saihara and Harukawa don’t say anything, only stretch out their arms for Momota to grab onto and pull himself up with.

It doesn't take long for Momota to be figuratively and literally back on his feet and flash a huge grin.

“Hmph, I'm just going easy on you two, alright? This training isn’t just for your bodies, but for your minds and souls as well!” He pumps his fists together.

“Yeah, we know.” Saihara reassured him. Harukawa simply nods in acknowledgement.

They picked up their jackets and started walking towards the dorms.

A cool breeze rolls by as they walk back, a small reward for their evening training. On the way back, they talk about various subjects: school, current events, what’s your favorite type of spaceship and why, anything to pass the time.

"I'm telling you, pianos are an excellent way of communicating with aliens!" Momota says.

"Wait, how would they even know you're trying to communicate with them in the first place?" Saihara immediately questions his logic.

"And how would the sound even travel through space?" Harukawa adds.

"Details, details. You need to see the big picture here!!" Momota conveniently dismisses their questions. 

Stuff like that.

Before they knew it, they managed to reach the entrance of the girl’s dorm. Momota and Saihara both pause to see Harukawa off before leaving.

And that would’ve been it. That would have been the end of their day.

But instead,

“Night, Harumaki! Don’t forget, I’ll prove you and Shuichi wrong in tomorrow’s training session!!” Momota shouted.

Harukawa rolls her eyes again as she was about to push the gate open, but then suddenly stops halfway.

“…Ah.” Was the only thing that slips out of her mouth.

She froze in place. Her hand is still on the gate, but she wasn't pushing it open to enter. She was stuck in a daze, or forgot something incredibly important until the very last minute, and the memories are suddenly rushing back to her. Either way, it was unnerving.

“H-Harukawa-san…?” Saihara notices her pause.

She says nothing.

“…Harumaki?” Momota also notices.

Again, nothing.

The frozen spell wears off enough for Harukawa to blink and turn towards them.

“… Sorry, I forgot. I’ll be off campus all day tomorrow, so I won’t make it then.”

That’s all she says.

It doesn’t sound that suspicious. One member not showing up for a day or two is normal. Saying so ahead of time even more so, it was almost polite even.

But still, it didn’t feel right; The stilted delivery of her words, her stiff composure, how she’s looking at the ground even after turning around to face them. Something felt wrong.

“…. Anyways, I’ll be going now. Good night.”

 She finally pushes open the gate open and makes her attempt to escape.

“Wait,”

Unfortunately, her attempt was thwarted by Saihara.

“Can you tell us why?” He simply asks.

She pauses again for a moment, trying to find her words. Her response was simple:

“Personal reasons.”

And then she attempts her escape again.

“Hold it.” This time it was Momota who stopped Harukawa in her tracks. “That’s not an answer.”

She turns back to them again, her eyes narrowing. “Too bad. That’s all I'll tell you.”

“Harumaki, that’s not enough-“

“Its personal reasons related to my _job_.” She added.

That was more than enough to shut their traps.

Out of the entire student body of Hope’s Peak Academy, only two people know about Harukawa’s  _job_. Originally, that number was a solid zero, but due to a certain chain of events that will not be covered here, that number has grown thanks to Momota and Saihara.

Because they are the only two that are close enough to Harukawa to know about her  _job_ , the mere mention of it is a surefire way to make their blood freeze in an instant.

But because they are the only two that are close enough to Harukawa to know about her  _job_ , they also know when she’s not being honest about herself.

So, Momota reasserts his previous statement.

"That's still not an answer."

“That’s  _still_  all I'll tell you.” She repeats, now more than ready to slam the gate shut behind her. “Good night.”

“Harukawa-san, please...!” Saihara begged.

A grunt of annoyance had slips from Harukawa's mouth. She turns around one last time, her arms crossed in a 'this is your last chance' kind of way.

Saihara of course picked up on the uptick in annoyance, but continues to speak aloud.

“You… You don’t have to tell us everything, but you don’t have to push us away either.”

Harukawa's silence was unwavered, but her arms lowered just for a moment.

"So... Even if it's related to your _job_ , you can still tell us." He finishes.

Momota keeps up the pace. “He's right. I keep telling you guys not to shoulder all your burdens by yourself. If you divide up the burden, only then will you-“

“Stop.” She finally spoke. “I’ll talk.”

“…But I didn’t finish.” He lamented.

“Don’t worry, I already know what you were gonna say.” Harukawa gracefully hints that she’s not in the mood for listening to yet another Inspiring Shounen Speech #11037. Momota scowls a bit, but doesn’t complain as they’ve succeeded their goal.

Harukawa takes a deep breath, and starts to talk.

“…I’m visiting my orphanage tomorrow.” She begins.

Immediately their attention was caught. As they listened, a faraway look starts to creep into her eyes as she continues.

“Usually…. Usually my assassination guild forbids me from going anywhere near there. But once a year, they need someone to discuss donations with the staff. That’s why once a year, they make an exception for me.”

“Oh... I see…” Saihara nods.

She sighs. “It’s not that big a deal. The orphanage isn’t too far from campus, only a 30-minute train ride away. And most of the day is spent talking with the staff and getting pushed around by kids.”

She says this all in a completely flat matter-of-fact tone: Not a big deal, it’s like this all the time.

It was just odd how empty it felt.

“Still, you must be pretty stoked, right?” Momota suddenly spoke.

“Huh?” She snaps out of her empty daze for a moment.

He flashes another grin. “I mean, the other kids must miss you like crazy if you only visit once a year, right? I’m sure everyone’s excited to see you again!!”

“…I guess.” She murmurs.

The faraway look in her eyes still hasn’t left, and only grew more heavy.

But soon she goes back to an annoyed tone again. “Anyway, are you two satisfied yet? Can I go to bed now?”

“O-oh.” Saihara was startled by her change in tone. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to keep you out this long.”

She turns towards the dorms.

“Good night, Harukawa-san.”

“Night, Harumaki!!”

Harukawa finally departs, and the boys start to walk towards their dorm.

Their walk was quiet, only the sound of their shoes scuffling on the pavement and insects chirping echo in the night. Neither of them speak once, not even to talk about what's the ideal way to communicate with aliens. It wasn’t until they reached their dorms did Saihara break the silence.

“…It’s strange.”

“Huh? What is?” Momota asks.

“A-Ah, nothing,” He quickly says. “It’s just… I’ve been thinking about what Harukawa-san said.”

“Oh, that. What about it?”

“Well, it’s not really about what she said, but…. How she said it.” Saihara was struggling to eloquently word out his thoughts. “How do I explain it… whenever Harukawa talks about her orphanage, she always sounds sincere.”

It’s the only thing she ever talks about.

Well, that would be an exaggeration. She can hold conversations about daily life, current events, any small talk, honestly.

But whenever she brings up her orphanage, that’s when she really starts to open up. Not a whole lot; she’s still rather quiet, still reserved. But it’s when she talks about what it’s like to be dragged around by children, playing house and reading bedtime stories, that’s when her guard starts to lower. That’s when her face starts to soften and her voice sounds wistful.

So it’s strange.

“When she talked about visiting the orphanage, she didn’t sound all that happy about it.” he continues. “She actually sounded kinda… pained at the prospect of it.”

“Hmmm.” Momota scratched the back of his head. "You think so?"

"M-Maybe." Saihara suddenly realizes just how much weight his words just held.

Momota says nothing back, his hands still on the back of his head.

“Ah, well, I’m just thinking out loud. It’s probably nothing.” Saihara backpedals, and reached for the door handle to his room. “Good night, Momota-kun.”

Before Saihara could even touch the handle though, Momota suddenly grabs his shoulder.

“H-huh?!”

“Shuichi, I gotta ask you something,” He suddenly says.

“You got any plans tomorrow?”

...

Sunday is a precious day for students.

It’s a day of rest, to spend time with friends, a day of not being cramped inside a classroom. This is true for any students, even Ultimate ones. While Hope’s Peak Academy doesn't restricts their students that much – the opposite actually, to the point where it’s a problem – leaving campus grounds is something that’s restrained to Sundays and special occasions only.

So when Harukawa swipes her pass to go up towards the train platform, she frowns at what awaits her.

Rather,  _who_  was awaiting her.

“A-Ah, Harukawa-san! What a coincidence!” Saihara’s wooden acting was as convincing as a plank.

“Yo, Harumaki! Didn’t expect to see ya here of all places!” Momota’s acting was a bit more convincing, but still oh so obviously forced.

But it wasn’t convincing enough for the person they’re trying to fool. Like daggers, Harukawa’s stare pierced into their souls.

“Why are you here.” She demanded.

Not asked, demanded.

“N-No reason!” Saihara’s pitiful acting continued. “We’re just on our way to… to…. Uhhh….”

It hasn’t even been a minute and they’ve already started to crack.

“A-Actually, we decided to go out for the day, and turns out our stop is the same is yours! Isn’t that a coincidence?!” Momota dove in for the save.

“Okay. And the name of the stop is...?” She asks.

“Uh… Umm…”

And just like that, their acting skills evaporated under Harukawa’s piercing glare. If there was a world record for this kind of thing, they would’ve beaten it ten times over by now. They have no choice but to give up the act.

“…Look, Harumaki: To be honest, we just wanna see what your orphanage is like.” Momota was the first to break the act.

“What?”

“You always talk about it, we can’t help but be curious!” He continues. “Besides, this is an excellent opportunity to see the Ultimate Child Caregiver in action!”

“…”

She’s stunned.

Now's the perfect chance for a counterattack.

“I-If you want us to leave, we’ll do so. But… you can only visit once a year, right? If it’s only once a year for you, then it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.” Saihara said.

And now, the final blow!

“Harukawa-san, we just want to know more about you.”

“.........”

She’s still hasn't said anything yet.

Is she mad? Is she complementing something? Maybe she's impressed somehow? Or perhaps a combo of all three? Regardless, it's clear she’s still processing the information. You can even see the Spinning Pinwheel of Death above her head.

But then, she sighs.

“…You guys are weird.”

The boys blink a few times before registering her answer.

“You're... You’re letting us come with you?” Saihara confirms.

She starts to play with her hair, avoiding eye contact. “I don’t know why you’re so interested. It’s just an old building full of brats, nothing impressive.”

“Nothing impressive, my ass! If its the starting point of the Ultimate Child Caregiver, then it has to be fucking amazing!” Momota blasts back.

“…. You’re just setting yourself up for disappointment then.”

Yet a blush starts to form on her puffed out cheeks.

Right on time, the upcoming train announcement blares as their train slowly comes to a complete stop at the platform. The doors open, and the three of them step in. They squeeze inside, trying find a spot. Once situated, the train leaves the platform for the next stop.

“You said it’s 30 minutes away, right?” Saihara asks.

“Yeah, I’ll let you guys know when our stop is coming up.” She confirms.

“Ok.” He nods. “…By the way, what’s your orphanage called?”

Harukawa pauses for a moment, waiting for the next stop announcement to finish.

“…Sunshine Orphanage.”


	2. New Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Kodaka never states the name of her orphanage, I've decided that Harukawa's from Sunshine Orphanage. Kiryu just decided to make another orphanage that just so happens to be 30 minutes away from Hope's Peak.

Thinking back to it, neither Momota or Saihara really had a point of reference when it came to orphanages.

Saihara’s dull work as a detective let him handle cases about missing kids from time to time, but in the end said kids would come back home to their parents or guardians. Momota had even less of a reference point. There weren’t any orphanages back at his home in the countryside, and his time in Hope’s Peak was mostly kept within the rather restricted campus area. At best, when imagining what an orphanage is like, all they really had were movies, books and TV series.

So, when they stood at the entrance of Sunshine Orphanage, they really didn’t know what to expect.

Despite its cheery namesake, the words “Sunshine Orphanage” on the sign was so worn down from age it was barely unreadable. The building itself was no better. It’s not like the place is about to collapse at any moment, but the cracked pavement, dusty windows and rusted gates barely even try to live up to its bright name.

Both Momota and Saihara were left without words. Should they say even something? Could they?

Regardless, as the two gawk at the building, Harukawa casually steps forward a few paces and turns around to face them.

“Well… this is it. This is my orphanage.”

That’s the only thing she says, then nonchalantly starts to fiddle with one of her pigtails again, and glances up a few times as she plays with her hair.

Oh god, she’s waiting to hear what they think, isn’t she?

The two reflexively gulp as they try to come up with something to say, anything to break this anticipating silence.

Saihara goes up first.

“Wow, its… its very… um,”

But words are not on his side today. In fact, they seem to be constantly fighting him each time he opens his mouth.

As Saihara fumbles and tries to come up with something nice to say, Harukawa easily takes notice and frowns.

“You don’t have to sugarcoat anything. I already told you that you guys were setting yourselves up for disappointment.”

“Oi, who said we’re disappointed?!” Momota roars back. “We’re just taken aback, that’s all! We didn’t think your place was so… so fucking old!”

“ _Old_?” Her faces scrunches into a scowl.

“Historic! What he meant to say was historic!” Saihara quickly tries to recover Momota’s blunder.

They were already on thin ice when they tagged along with her visit in the first place, they can’t afford for it to crack just because of a poor choice of words.

Momota clears his throat. “Right, historic. That’s what I was gonna say. Thanks, Shuichi.”

Saihara nods as they trudge through the minefield that is Harukawa’s cold scowl. “I mean, at least that’s the impression we’re getting. You should know how old your orphanage is, right Harukawa-san? Considering this is where you grew up and all.”

With such a question being thrown at her face, Harukawa replaces her scowl with a look of genuine curiosity. She ponders for a moment, her finger tapping her chin in thought.

“…Actually, I don’t know.”

“Really?” Momota says in surprise.

“Well, not specifically.” She corrects herself. “I know it was built after the war, but I don’t exactly know when. Never really bothered to find out.”

“Huh, I see.” Saihara responds in genuine interest, and in relief as they’ve somehow managed to escape that minefield with minimal casualties.

“Anyways,” Harukawa suddenly changes the subject. “Let’s go inside already. We’ve already wasted enough time already talking about pointless subjects like this.”

The three of them put aside their small tangent and walk towards the entrance of the building. Harukawa pretends not to notice the obvious sighs of relief the boys made behind her.

…

The inside was no better or worse than the outside.

The air smells stagnant, the wooden floor creaks and sighs as they take off their shoes. Small cracks and chips riddle the walls, accompanied with crayon scribbles that got smudged after who knows how many attempts were made cleaning it.

It’s a lonely place, but comforting at the same time.

As they put away their shoes, Saihara notices someone from the corner of his eye.

A small girl, no younger than 5 years old, stands in front of them. With large innocent eyes, she stares intensely at the group at the entrance.

At first, Saihara opens his mouth to try and speak with her. But in a blink of an eye the little girl darts towards them, jumps up, and clings to Harukawa’s waist.

Saihara and Momota both jump back in shock, while Harukawa simply catches the girl and tries to keep her balance.

“Big sis Maki!!”

“What-“ Saihara and Momota attempted to say, but then suddenly 2 more kids, now 3 more, now 6 -  until a torrent of around 15 children of various ages ran down the hallway and submerged them, all shouting “Big Sis Maki!!” as they try to cling onto her.

“Big sis Maki’s back!! Big sis Maki’s back!!”

“Big sis Maki, we got a lot of new toys! Can you play with us all day?!”

“Big sis Maki, can you play house with us? It’s more fun when you’re the dad!”

 “Big sis Maki, who’re those guys? Are they here to play with us too?!”

They were at the mercy of the children’s constant tugging and pulling, all vying for the attention of the returning caregiver. Until finally, with a clear voice, Harukawa spoke up.

“Shut up, all of you. You’re giving me a headache.”

…Wow.

Saihara wasn’t sure what to be more impressed by: The fact that she cold-heartedly told a bunch of children to shut up, or the fact that all of them stop talking the moment she says so.

The silence only lasts for a few seconds or so however, before they’re back to their cheery, loud selves and start to tug and pull on her for attention again.

“We missed you soooo much!!” They cried.

Harukawa could only sigh in defeat, but surprisingly doesn’t seem all that annoyed.

It doesn’t last for long, however.

2 set of footsteps shuffle through the hallway.

“Oh my, it’s gotten quite noisy, hasn’t it?”

The first set of footsteps belong to an older woman. Warm brown eyes, dark hair swept aside in a side ponytail, and a light pink apron neatly wraps around her waist. Even without the motherly warmth radiating from her, you can easily tell she’s one of the caregivers that run this orphanage.

“Do we have visitors? That’s odd, I don’t remember anyone coming in today except-“

The woman’s warm, motherly composure freezes into a grimace as she sees the visitors at the entrance. She jerks a smile on her face to hide it.

“H-Harukawa-san…”

The room grows silent. Harukawa doesn’t make eye contact.

“Oi, why’d it get so noisy all of a sudden?”

The second caregiver that waltzes in couldn’t possibly be any more different.

A rough looking man with spiky dyed blond hair with untouched roots appears. Multiple piercings riddle his ears and face, and his light pink apron is loosely tied around his waist. His already sour disposition worsens when he also meets their visitors.

“Oh… it’s you….”

Again, Harukawa says nothing and stares at the ground.

The second caregiver continues. “That time of the year already, huh? What a pain… alright, let’s get this over with already.”

He motions for Harukawa to follow him. However, the first caregiver raises some concern.

“Wait a minute,” She starts. “Who’s going to watch the children? We didn’t expect her to visit today, and it’s too late to call the volunteers.”

The second caregiver groans. “Seriously? No one’s available? It’s Sunday, someone’s gotta have free time on their hands.”

“But…” The female caregiver tries to voice her doubt.

“We can watch over these brats.” Momota suddenly chimes, pulling Saihara in tow.

All attention has now been railroaded to Momota.

“You can?” The caregivers and Harukawa ask in a doubtful tone.

“We can?” Saihara also asks in a doubtful tone.

The gruff caregiver walks towards them and parts the sea of children, facing them with a cold scowl.

“And you are…?” He asks with a piercing stare.

Momota in return flashes a confident grin. “Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!”

The reception was mixed at best; Harukawa pinches the bridge of her nose, the female caregiver gives a strained smile, and the male caregiver only raises an eyebrow.

“…I’m Shuichi Saihara. We’re Harukawa-san’s friends from Hope’s Peak Academy. Nice to meet you.” Saihara quietly adds.

That immediately caught their attention.

“Really?” The male caregiver sneers. “You’re friends with _her_?”

 “Yeah, you got a problem with that?” Momota immediately steps in.

“Maybe. Depends on how you answer.” He pushes back.

The female caregiver comes in between them.

“Stop it.” She warns. “Are you that immature that you’ll start picking fights with high schoolers?”

The male caretaker glares at her for a moment, then simply snorts and looks away. In turn, she sighs as she gives Momota and Saihara a thin smile. “I’m sorry, we haven’t introduced ourselves. My name is Tomoko Hino. The grumpy one is Yusuke Nishiyama, and we’re the caregivers of this little orphanage. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Hino-san.” Saihara exchanged pleasantries.

“Yeah, nice to meet you!” Momota grins.

Hino simply nods, satisfied with how she diffused a potential brawl. “I’m glad you want to help, but are you sure you want to volunteer? Taking care of children is a strenuous task.”

 “Hey, it’s shouldn’t be a problem!!” Momota confidently answers. “Watching over these brats will be easy as shi-“

Harukawa’s elbow pierces Momota’s stomach, keeling him over. When trying to talk back at her she simply gives him a glare that screams _Watch your fucking language_.

Saihara sheepishly goes next. “Um… I don’t have much experience watching over children, but if there’s any way to help, I’d be glad to.”

While she's trying her best to hide it, Hino's smile strains after hearing their answers. She looks back towards Nishiyama, who only gives a noncommitted grunt, and then crouches down to the children that are still clinging onto the visitors.

“Well, what do you say? Would you like to play with these boys while we’re busy?” She asks them.

“Can Big sis Maki play with us too?” One of the younger children asks.

Hino noticeably flinches. “M-Maybe later. For now, how about you show them the playground in the back!”

She stands up quickly to lead the children the way, and beckons Momota and Saihara to follow her as well. Harukawa stays back with Nishiyama, and has noticeably grown stiffer.

“Don’t traumatize them too hard.” Maki says as they leave the room.

“Oi, don’t be rude, Harumaki! We’re not that terrible!!” Momota protests.

She turns around to talk to them more clearly.

“I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to them.” She corrects him and flashes a rare smile. “Good luck, you’re gonna need it.”

“Heh, We’ll show you. Shuichi and I are gonna babysit the he- I mean, the heck out of these brats!” Momota proclaims.

…

Unfortunately, that can only be easier said than done.

Both of them learn the hard way that taking care of children really is harder than it looks. While watching over children seems easy enough, playing with them, making sure they don’t get hurt, making sure they don’t go anywhere they’re not supposed to and not picking fights with one another is a different thing entirely.

To their credit, it’s not like all the kids are crying and bleeding under their watch. They’re doing a decent job of keeping them entertained, with Momota offering piggyback rides and playing tag and all sorts of activities, while Saihara is keeping them decently busy playing games like House. Plus, being called “Big bro Kaito” and “Big bro Shuichi” wasn’t too bad either. Has a nice ring to it.

However, it's the moment they let their guard down is when they truly become overwhelmed.

It starts with an innocent question by one of the young girls.

“Hey, Hey, Big bro Shuichi! Do you two go to Hope’s Peak together with Big sis Maki?”

Saihara was taken aback a bit by the sudden question but answers it nonetheless.

“Huh? Oh, yeah! We’re in the same class together.”

“Then, does that mean you’re an Ultimate Student?” A different boy asks.

“Yeah, I’m the Ultimate Detective, and Momota-kun is the Ultimate Astronaut.”

A sparkle ignites in the children's eyes. “You’re a detective?! Does that mean you solve murder cases and stuff?!”

“N-No, nothing like that!” Saihara immediately denies. “My job isn’t that exciting. What I usually solve are just debauchery cases, finding missing people, simple things like that. In fact, it’s kinda my job to find people before they’re end up dead."

The glimmer inside the child’s eyes immediately fade. "Oh... I see..."

“S-Sorry, to be honest, my Ultimate title was given to me just because of a fluke.” He admits.

They don’t even respond back, they just look at the ground dejectedly.

Ouch.

He’s used to telling people that his detective work is boring, but seeing kids immediately lose interest somehow felt even more painful.

“Oi, how many times do I have to tell you not to fu- not to beat yourself up? You deserve your title as Ultimate Detective as much as anyone else!” Momota yells after finishing up another piggyback ride. “If you didn’t solve that case, that piece of sh- that murderer would’ve gotten away scott-free!”

“Momota-kun…” Saihara says. Even though Saihara feels like he doesn’t deserve it, hearing Momota trying to cheer him up put a smile on his face regardless.

“Wait a minute!!” One of the children yells, this time a young boy with glasses. “I know how Big bro Shuichi’s detective skills can be helpful!!”

Saihara pauses. “You… do?”

The boy pushes up his glasses. “You said earlier that you find missing people, right?”

“Yes…?” Saihara reluctantly answers.

“That means, you can also help people find someone they’re looking for, right?” He continues.

“I… guess?” Saihara is not liking where this question is going.

“Then it’s simple!! You can help us find our parents!!” The boy proclaims.

Oh no.

“Um, that’s not how it works-“

“Really?? Can Big bro Shuichi really do that?!” The other children drown out his explanation.

The bespectacled boy nods in confidence. “Of course! Detectives get to use DNA tests and stuff like that, right? Plus, most of us are still registered with our birth parents! So, it shouldn’t be a problem finding them!!”

Ohhhhhh nooooooooo.

"Can you do that? Can you really do that Big bro Shuichi?!" They ask.

Their innocent eyes stare so intensely at him that their gaze burn his skin. He can't do this. He has to find a way out of this situation quick.

"Uh, sorry, I really can't-"

“Heeeeeeyyyyy who wants another piggyback ride from the Ultimate Astronautsteprightup!!!” Momota swoops in and tries to distract them. While not all of them were swayed by his offer, a good chunk of them eagerly ran towards him, giving Saihara some room to breathe.

He crouches down so they hop on his back.

“Hey, Big bro Kaito, you’re an Astronaut, right? Does that mean you’ve been to space?” A different girl asks.

“W-Well, not yet.” Momota confesses. “Right now, I’m just a trainee, but I’m still the youngest person to pass the astronaut exam!!”

“How did you pass the exam then?” Another boy asks.

Momota winces a bit. “Uhh, let’s just say I know a guy with nimble fingers and got me some papers…”

“That’s a crime! Big bro Kaito’s a criminal!!” The girl cries out.

“W-What? No, I’m not!! I’m still-aaaaAAAAAAUUUGHHHGHHHHH!!!”

Momota’s beard was yanked hard before he could even make an excuse.

“Wow, look! Big bro Kaito makes a funny noise when you pull this!” One of the boys says.

“Stop that!! That hurts like heeEEEAAAAAAAAAAGHGHHHHH!!!” His beard was pulled again before he could stop them.

“Momota-kun!!” Saihara runs towards him. He saved his life, now it's his turn to save his. “H-Hey, you shouldn’t do that! Can’t you see that it hurts him?”

“Huh? But he makes such a funny sound!” He dismisses him. “Wanna try it, Big bro Shuichi?”

“N-No!!” Shuichi exclaims.

“Aww, too bad. Maybe Big sis Maki wants to try!” They exclaim.

“Hey, what did I tell you about not traumatizing them too hard?”

Harukawa appears before them with her arms crossed. Everyone immediately drops everything and run towards her at full speed, except for a few stragglers and the boy who’s still holding Momota’s beard hostage.

“Harukawa-san! Are you done with the negotiations already?” Saihara asks her.

Harukawa’s eyes grew cold and gave him an intense stare. He flinches back in instinct.

“Huh? What negotiations?” A girl tugging on Harukawa’s skirt wonders.

He realizes what he just said, and where he said it.

“Nothing.” Her words were as cold as ice. “But yes, there's still some things left to discuss, but for the most part everything's wrapped up.”

“Right, okay…” Shuichi quietly mumbles.

“Hey, Big sis Maki! Check out this funny noise Big bro Kaito makes when you pull his beard!” The young boy tries to get her attention.

He readies his hand to yank on It for a demonstration, but Harukawa immediately slaps it away from Momota’s beard, finally freeing him from the boy’s torment. She crouches down to face the boy as Momota gets up to tend to his beard.

“Don’t do that.” She says.

“Huuuhhh? Why not?” He asks.

“You’ll grow bald.” Harukawa answers point blank.

What.

“When you pull on someone’s beard, monsters will come and steal your hair. The more you pull on it, the more hair you lose.” She continues.

Saihara and Momota blankly stare at Harukawa as she explains to the boy. Did they really just hear her say that? Did she really explain the reason you shouldn’t pull on people’s beards is not because it's rude and it hurts someone, but because monsters will steal your hair? However, what’s even more surprising is that the boy is actually buying it.

“R-Really?!” He cries and clasps onto his head. “I-I don’t wanna lose my hair! I'm too young to be bald!!”

He starts to cry, snot and tears already dribbling down on his face. Harukawa simply ruffles his hair and talks in a calm voice.

“There’s a simple way to reverse it; go and apologize to Momota for pulling on his beard.”

Like so, he turns to Momota, teary eyed and covered in snot. “I’m sorryyy….”

Momota sighs as he continues to tend to his beard. “It’s okay, just… don’t do it again.”

The boy was still trying his hardest to stop crying, rubbing his eyes as hard as he could.

“Come on, how about you go play with the other kids for now? I need to talk to these two for a bit.” Harukawa consoles him.

He wipes the tears off his face and nodded, and ran towards the other kids in the playground. Once he was a considerable amount away, Harukawa let out a big sigh.

“Thanks, Harumaki. I would’ve lost my charm point if you didn’t show up.” Momota says.

“Charm point?” Saihara quirks an eyebrow.

He smirks. “Yeah! Everyone loves the beard.”

“Uhhhh…” Saihara gives a noncommittal response.

“No comment.” Harukawa says point blank.

Saihara tries to change the subject. “A-Anyways, sorry for talking about the donations in front of the kids.”

“Just don’t do it again. They don’t know about my _Job_ , and I’d rather keep it that way.” Harukawa explains. “After all, finding out that your beloved big sister figure kills people for money would be…”

“Harukawa-san…” Was all Saihara can say.

“Hey, don't say stuff like that. I know, how about you go and play with those brats? I know they’ve been dying to do so ever since we got here.” Momota tries to cheer her up.

But Harukawa remains silent.

“…I can’t. Even if I wanted to, they won’t let me.” She murmurs.

“Huh? Who won’t let you?” Saihara questions.

Right on cue, Hino answers his question as she runs briskly towards the trio.

“Harukawa-san, perfect timing. I need help unloading the laundry, can you come with me?” She asks.

Something immediately felt off. Laundry? Why do they need her for something like that?

“Um, Hino-san, we can help with laundry if you'd like.” Saihara offers.

“O-Oh, no, that’s okay. I really need Harukawa-san for this anyway.” Hino shoots down his offer. “I need you two to watch over the kids.”

Saihara and Momota look at each other in doubt.

“But Harumaki’s the Ultimate Child Caregiver, wouldn’t it be better if she watches the brats?”

Hino dismisses his idea. “No, it’s fine! You’re doing a good job so far! If you’re having trouble, how about you put on a movie for them? We just got one of those new Blu-Ray players, I’m sure they’d love to watch something on it!”

“But-“

“Anyways, I’m borrowing Harukawa-san for a moment! Let me know if you’re having any trouble!” Hino dodges any more questions from both and grabs Harukawa’s hand. Harukawa turns her head back at them for a moment, and then walks away with Hino.

Momota and Saihara were left alone, dumbstruck and confused.

“That… was weird.” Momota remarks.

“Yeah… it’s like she didn’t want Harukawa-san to be left alone with the kids.” Saihara thought out loud. “But why?”

“They won’t let her.” A voice answers.

Saihara turns around. An older girl, probably in middle school, nonchalantly reads a novel on a swing set. She had light brown hair in a puffy bobcut, scratched round glasses, a polo shirt and pleated skirt combo that came straight out of a stereotypical nerd’s closet. Is she from here? That’s odd, Saihara thinks. He didn’t see her before when they were getting swamped by all the children earlier.

“They’ll do everything they can to keep her far away from us as possible.” She continues. “Just like every other year…”

She hops off the swing set and calmly walks towards them, adjusting her glasses a bit.

“Shouldn’t you guys put on a movie or something? Because at the rate you guys are going, you’re gonna get eaten alive, or at very least the astronaut here is totally gonna lose that ‘charm point’ of his.” She points out.

Momota instinctively covers his beard. “Can you show us where that blu-ray player is?”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll even herd the kids for free.” She shrugs and starts to lead the way.

Momota and Saihara follow her lead, but a thought nagged behind Saihara’s head, and wouldn’t leave for the rest of the day:

Why are they trying so hard to keep Harukawa-san away from the children?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.
> 
> I wanted to post this chapter last week, but I suddenly got sick after I got back from my vacation, pretty much screwing over my schedule. And since I'm immediately going to be out of town again, the next update might be a while again. That being said the whole is already outlined, so hopefully there shouldn't be any HUGE delays.
> 
> Anyways, this is when we get things going, and when the original characters come into play. Training trio is still the main focus, but I can't just make everyone in the orphanage faceless blobs, can I?
> 
> Also, if you haven't noticed yet, I'm going to mostly go by the localization to avoid future confusion, except for a few cases like using the suffixes and last names, and a few other things.
> 
> Please leave any comment or critique if you can!! They really do help!!

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be like, a simple oneshot. How did this spiral out of control 
> 
> Anyways!! I love these three a lot, and this was something I've been wanting to write for months now that I'm back in the writing game. Its bigger than I thought it would be, but it should easily be wrapped up in like 4 chapters or so. Not sure about a posting schedule, but my goal is to finish it up in a month at least.
> 
> Please comment if you can!! Again, its been a while since I've written anything, so criticism is more than welcome!!


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